To the Editor:

I am a mother of a preschooler that folks in the linguistics and child development world call a dual language learner. Most of these children, if not all, go through a phase the American Language-Speech-Hearing Association call a “period of silence,” which is often mistaken for developmental or speech delay. The period of silence usually comes during the time most monolingual children are speaking and answering questions. My child was no exception to this rule and has been placed in a learning disability program here in Princeton. Through some research, I discovered that many dual language learners are in similar situations. The administration has agreed to meet with me to discuss my request to have my bilingual child be assessed with tests and standards appropriate for dual language learners.

While I am happy for the opportunity to discuss assessments with the administration, I fear that at the end of the day, financial considerations will prohibit my child and other bilingual children from getting an assessment that is appropriate for them. I had chatted with the president of one of the PTOs in Princeton about my child. She declared to me “The school doesn’t have money. The school should not pay for any special assessments. I don’t want to spend money on any other assessment.” I worry that the administration will reflect the same attitude as the PTO president.

Her financial concerns for the school are warranted. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), which administers an international test called PISA to 15-year-olds worldwide, noted that the top performing nations had very cost effective educational systems. The U.S. was not one of the top ranking nations in PISA. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan and Governor Chris Christie hope to build educational systems that can run smarter on less money. Today, we can see some of the results of education reform. Recent rankings published in New Jersey Monthly, which had Princeton High School at number 59, reflects how well schools do during times of budget cutting.

While Princeton figures out how to make smarter decisions, I worry that because there are parents in Princeton who do not care about all the different children with different needs, the administration possesses the same ideas as the PTO president. If that is the case my children, other dual language learners in Princeton, the limited English proficiency students who are still trying to learn English, and a host of other children, will never get a fair shot at education.

Aggie Sung Tang

Herrontown Road